


Where He Belonged

by TripCreates



Series: 50 Days of i7 [17]
Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Declarations Of Love, Established Relationship, Fireworks, Fluff, M/M, Meet the Family, Near Future, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-05
Updated: 2018-10-05
Packaged: 2019-07-25 11:36:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16196741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TripCreates/pseuds/TripCreates
Summary: Sougo takes a trip out to Okinawa with Ryuu to meet his family for the first time.Ryuusou Week 2018 - Day 5: Family





	Where He Belonged

**Author's Note:**

> Happy ryuusou day!!! I actually didn't think I'd be able to finish this one in time and while it's a day late for the week, I made it in time for 10/5 day here in the US!! I've been working out this idea for a while and even though I ultimately shortened it, I'm quite with how this turned out. 
> 
> I'm as counting this for a prompt on my i7 series I'm still working on.
> 
>  **17\. Fireworks** \- [table 50-A](https://100-prompts.livejournal.com/692.html)
> 
> If you liked this, please let me know in the comments! It would mean a lot to me <3

Sougo gazed nervously at the modest Tsunashi family house as Ryuu grabbed his bags out of the car. He’d insisted he could carry his own bags but Ryuu wouldn’t let him.

“You’re the guest. I can’t let you carry your own bags,” Ryuu had said.

Sougo still couldn’t believe he was here. Throughout the entire flight to Okinawa, Sougo’s mind went through every worst-case scenario for this two-day trip. (It probably wouldn’t have been so bad if Ryuu had been on the flight with him. But to avoid any suspicion, they took separate flights, Ryuu having already gone the day before him.)

This was Sougo’s first time officially meeting Ryuu’s family so it was only natural for him to be worried. What if he accidentally said or did something to offend them? What if they didn’t like him?

There were too many what ifs swirling inside his headnoticedand it wasn’t until he felt a hand rest on his shoulder that pulled Sougo out of his worrying.

He glanced up to see Ryuu smiling at him. “Are you okay, Sougo-kun?”

Sougo masked his inner turmoil with a polite smile. “I’m fine.”

The smile was less effective now that Ryuu had been around him long enough to see through the façade. His gaze shifted to the house.

“It’s not much compared to what you probably lived in, but it’s still home.”

Sougo looked at him in confusion. That wasn’t the issue at all. “That’s more than what I can say about where I grew up.” He felt nothing but cold detachment to that place.

“I’m sorry,” Ryuu said with a pained expression. Ever since learning more about Sougo’s family life, Ryuu shied away from mentioning it. “I didn’t mean to make the comparison. You’re just the first person I’ve brought here since becoming an idol and I’m a bit nervous. Because of my mom’s second husband, it’s assumed I’m from wealth when this is the reality.”

Sougo’s eyes widened in shock. He already knew the truth about Ryuu’s family so it should have been obvious that he wouldn’t bring anyone here. And the fact Sougo was the first a complete surprise but hearing that Ryuu was also nervous made him relax a little.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to apologize or worry about that. I’m actually feeling nervous about meeting your family,” he said hesitantly, dropping his gaze.

Ryuu curled his fingers under Sougo’s chin and gently tilted his head back so that their eyes met. “They’re going to love you. How could they not?”

Sougo frowned. He could think of plenty of reasons why they wouldn’t. Before he could voice any, Ryuu leaned in and gave him a kiss on the lips. As he pulled away, Sougo looked all around them to make sure no one saw, causing Ryuu to laugh.

“We can’t be so careless,” Sougo said. Although they were far away from their daily lives, they were still recognizable.

Ryuu moved his hand up Sougo’s jaw, caressing his cheek with his thumb. “I knew no one was around so you don’t have to fret. Ready to go inside?”

Sougo nodded as Ryuu pulled his hand away. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Ryuu led the way up to the front door and inside. As Sougo slipped off his shows, Ryuu called out, “We’re back!”

It didn’t take long for them to be joined by Ryuu’s family in the entryway to greet him. Sougo straightened himself and clasped his hands in front of him, putting his best smiled forward. He’d met all kinds of important business people growing up but right now, these were the ones Sougo wanted to make the best first impression on.

“Is this the friend you were telling us about?” the youngest the three boys asked.

“Yes, he is,” Ryuu answered as he placed a light touch to Sougo’s upper back. “Everyone, this is my good friend, Osaka Sougo,” he introduced. “Sougo-kun, this is my father Ryuutaro, and my brothers Soutaro, Kounosuke, and Kotaro.”

It was a good thing Sougo was well practiced at hiding his true emotions from his face and was able to hold back a grimace at “good friend”. He pushed the bitter thoughts of having to keep the true meaning of their relationship a secret. Only Ryuu’s father knew for now.

Sougo bowed to them. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for welcoming me into your home.”

Ryuu’s father had a kind smile on his face when Sougo straightened back up. He could see where Ryuu got his from. “It’s nice to meet you as well. Come in. You must be tired from the flight.”

Some of Sougo’s worry began to melt away until he saw the look the eldest brother gave him. He tried not to overanalyze it as he followed Ryuu’s father into the house. Maybe he was just making something out of nothing.

Ryuu’s hand on his lower back distracted Sougo enough from his thoughts as they walked. Everything was going to be okay, he told himself.

 

After dinner, Ryuu’s youngest two brothers dragged him out to the backyard to light fireworks.  Sougo trailed after them but kept his distance. Even though it was Ryuu’s idea to invite him out here to meet his family, Sougo felt like he was intruding on Ryuu’s limited time with them.

He also should have anticipated how out of place he felt there. It wasn’t that he was socially inept or that the Tsunashis made him feel uncomfortable because it was the opposite of that. He could tell how willing they were to make him feel comfortable there and that alone threw Sougo off.

Yes, he’d grown up with people’s attention on him because of his family name and the last couple of years of idol work. But this here was different. Here, he was just regular Sougo and they wanted to know more about him. The real him, not what was presented on TV or the stage. So, he answered their questions and tried to relax around them. He must have been doing a good enough job based on the pleased looks Ryuu kept giving him throughout the day.

Maybe he was making a good impression after all.

Sougo remained standing on the back patio and watched Ryuu. Seeing him with his family was a glimpse into what a family should be like. So much warmth and happiness filled the space around them. It’s what Sougo wanted when he was growing up. But personal feelings aside, Sougo was happy to see Ryuu so openly smiling and happy with his family.

As he watched Ryuu set up the fireworks, Soutaro approached him. Sougo had noticed the teen watching him throughout the afternoon and dinner, making him feel a bit uneasy under his watchful gaze.

“Shouldn’t you be over there with your brothers?” he asked. He was unsure of what else to say when the teen was giving him a hard stare down. Since when was he this intimidated by a teenager?

“I’d like to talk with you if that’s okay,” Soutaro said, but his tone didn’t leave any room for Sougo to deny him.

“Of course,” Sougo responded, a polite smile on his lips.

Soutaro crossed his arms against his chest and asked, “Are you dating my brother?”

Sougo barely noticed the sound of the fireworks shooting off over the pounding of his own heartbeat.

This was bad. As much as Ryuu wanted to share the news of his relationship with his own whole family, the fewer people that knew, the better for now. Not that Ryuu didn’t trust his brothers but all it took was one slip up to cause trouble.

Now Sougo regretted coming on this trip. He should have been more firm with Ryuu when asked because coming under the whole guise as just being friends obviously did not work.

 _What should I say?_ Sougo thought. He didn’t want to lie to Soutaro but he also didn’t want to upset Ryuu by sharing the secret when he wasn’t ready for him to know.

“Look,” Soutaro said when it was clear Sougo wasn’t going to answer. “I’m not going to tell anyone if it’s true. I know what it would do to his career if just the _idea_ of it got out. I remember how bad it was before with that scandal involving that other idol.”

While Soutaro’s intention was good, that was definitely something Sougo did not want to be reminded of right now. If news about them got out, it would blow that story out of the water. He looked over at Ryuu for a moment before making his decision. Sougo was sure Ryuu would forgive him later.

“How did you figure it out?” he asked, glancing back to Soutaro.

“I had my suspicions when I heard he was bringing someone with him for his visit. And it was confirmed when you two arrived.”

“How so?” Sougo only pressed the matter because he’d been mindful of his actions around Ryuu all day to make sure they didn’t appear to be more than friends. They’ve done it for months now and no one outside their respective groups knew a thing. How was he able to figure it out?

Soutaro dropped his gaze to the ground and Sougo was sure he saw a hint of blush streak across his cheeks in low lighting. “I saw you two kiss earlier.”

It was Sougo’s turn to blush as he wanted the ground to swallow him right then and there. But he didn’t get to wallow in his embarrassment as Soutaro looked back up at him with a determined glint in his eyes.

“I don’t know what your intentions are with my brother but you better not hurt him. He’s not like his stage persona and is too kind and caring for his own good sometimes. So don’t think you’re going to take advantage of him to help your own career.”

 _So that’s what this is about._ That realization brought clarity to Sougo.

“You don’t have to worry about that,” Sougo said without any hesitation. He could see the disbelief present on Soutaro’s face and he had to make him understand. “After meeting him and getting to learn the real him, that’s what I love about Ryuunosuke and would _never_ do anything to hurt him in any way. I honestly was against us starting a relationship for fear of what could happen if it got out.”

When he was done, Sougo could tell Soutaro was taken aback by the deceleration of love just as much as he was as he realized what he said. He hadn’t even told Ryuu yet how he felt.

They stood there in silence, both unsure of what to say until Soutaro spoke.

“Well, then good.”

“Hey, what you two doing over there? Come over and join us!” Ryuu called out to them.

The two exchanged one last glance before heading over to the others.  

Sougo didn’t feel entirely comfortable around the fireworks. Sharp objects he could handle. Fire not so much. He wasn’t used to being to being around. It certainly wasn’t an activity his father allowed on their estate so the only experience Sougo had with fireworks were at festivals from a safe distance.

He opted for one of the sparklers that’d been untouched as the boys went for the louder ones.

“Let me light that for you,” Ryuu said.

Sougo could feel the others’ gazes on them as he looked at Ryuu. He had the sneaking suspicion the entire family was already onto them.

Ryuu leaned away as the sparks began to fly but remained close.

Sougo lost himself for a moment as he gazed up into Ryuu’s eyes, the warm amber orbs illuminated in the flickering light. This was right where he belonged.

There was no denying what Sougo felt for the other man now. He’d held strong feelings for Ryuu ever since he discovered TRIGGER but the past feelings of adoration and idolization had morphed into something new and deeper. Yes, Sougo would always consider himself a fan of Ryuu but it wasn’t the main focus anymore. He saw beyond the idol and had fallen in love with the guy from Okinawa with a big heart.

Sougo just needed to find the right way to tell him that.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> A quick note on Ryuu's dad's name. Since he doesn't have a name in the series I had to take it upon myself to name him for this. I went with "Ryuutaro" since I noticed all the sons seem to have similar naming patterns. My first choice was Sousuke but then I remembered that was Gaku’s dad so… Not like it really matters since he's not used much in this fic but I had to give him something!
> 
> If you liked this and want to share it on tumblr, use this [post](http://bekasyura.tumblr.com/post/178772318241/where-he-belonged). Or for twitter, this [post](https://twitter.com/tripcreates/status/1048356698665181184).


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